You shall digest the venom of your spleen, CAS. Is it come to this ? BRU. You say you are a better soldier : Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well. For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men. CAS. You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus ; I said an elder soldier, not a better : Did I say, "better"? BRU. If you did, I care not. CAS. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have moved me. BRU. Peace, Peace! you durst not so have tempted him. CAS. I durst not! CAS. What! durst not tempt him! BRU. For your life you durst not. CAS. Do not presume too much upon my love; I may do that I shall be sorry for. BRU. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats; For I am arm'd so strong in honesty That they pass by me as the idle wind, For certain sums of gold, which thou denied me; By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me: Iwas that done like Cassius ? To lock such rascal counters from his friends, CAS. BRU. You did. CAS. I denied you not. I did not he was but a fool That brought my answer back. Brutus hath riv'd my heart. A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. BRU. I do not, till you practise them on me. CAS. I do not like your faults. CAS. A friendly eye could never see such faults. BRU. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus. CAS. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother; When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better BRU. Sheathe your dagger: Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; Hath Cassius liv'd CAS. When grief and blood ill-temper'd vexeth him? BRU. When I spoke that I was ill-temper'd too. CAS. BRU. O Brutus ! What's the matter? CAS. Have not you love enough to bear with me When that rash humour which my mother gave me Makes me forgetful? BRU. Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, Second Part of the same Scene. [Enter LUCIUS.] BRU. Where is thy instrument? Luc. Here in the tent. BRU. What! thou speakest drowsily? Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watch'd. Call Claudius and some other of my men ; I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent. Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS. VAR. Calls my lord ? BRU. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep : It may be I shall raise you by and by On business to my brother Cassius. VAR. So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure. BRU. I will not have it so; lie down, good sirs; It may be I shall otherwise bethink me. Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so; I put it in the pocket of my gown. [VARRO and CLAUDIUS lie down. Luc. I was sure your lordship did not give it me. BRU. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful. Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile, And touch thy instrument a strain or two? Luc. Ay, my lord, an 't please you. It does, my boy: I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing. BRU. I should not urge thy duty past thy might; Luc. I have slept, my lord, already. BRU. It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again; I will not hold thee long: if I do live, I will be good to thee. [Music, and a Song. This is a sleepy tune: O murderous slumber! That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good-night ; S.R. L Enter the Ghost of CESAR. How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here ? Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, GHOST. Thy evil spirit, Brutus. BRU. Ay, at Philippi. GHOST. [Ghost vanishes. Now I have taken heart thou vanishest : Luc. The strings, my lord, are false. BRU. He thinks he still is at his instrument. Lucius, awake! Luc. My lord! BRU., Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out? Luc. My lord, I do not know that I did cry. BRU. Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see any thing? Luc. Nothing, my lord. BRU. Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah, Claudius ! Fellow thou! awake! VAR. My lord! CLAU. My lord! BRU. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep? VAR. CLAU. Did we, my lord? BRU. Ay saw you any thing? Nor I, my lord. VAR. No, my lord, I saw nothing. CLAU. BRU. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius. Bid him set on his powers betimes before, And we will follow. VAR. It shall be done, my lord. [Exeunt. Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter. They met me in the day of success; and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who allhailed me, "Thane of Cawdor; " by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, "Hail, king that shalt be!" This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightest not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way; thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it; what thou wouldst highly And yet wouldst wrongly win; thou'd'st have, great Glamis, Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, Enter a Messenger. What is your tidings? MESS. The king comes here to-night. |